A Place for Me
by Laura Latts
Summary: "I just wonder if there's anywhere in the world where weirdos like me fit in!" What kind of adventures did Stanford have on the other side of the portal? Did he ever find a place he could call his own? (Rated T for language.)
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Hello! Quick word out! This fanfic was inspired greatly by skittlestew's post on tumblr about Ford in the portal._

* * *

Ford laid there on the roof as he watched the night sky. None of the constellations looked like the ones he was so familiar with.

He smiled, invented his own. After all, who were they who created the ones he knew so well in his dimension's history? Anyone could've made a picture out of dots if they so chose.

A short laugh escaped him and he laid back on the tin roof as he continued his star gazing. Ford Pines actually felt at peace for once and allowed his mind to wonder over these strange lands he had for so long roamed.

He remembered back to his earlier rough starts, being so blinded and unaware of the world around him. Terrified by the creatures he saw. The voices, once whispering in his head, now screaming and blocking out his better judgement until he was alone, away from all the chaos and confusion. He felt sick to his stomach and weak from the rush of adrenaline. It was nonstop since his fight with Stanley. Ford had curled up under what seemed like a very twisted, hunched over, old blue tree, and rested. He remembered wondering if the pink and purple fruit on the tree was anything to eat. He wasn't aware he fell asleep.

When Stanford woke up, he felt very dizzy. He was malnourished and the events of yesterday felt like some horrible bad dream that left him drained and exhausted. His body ached as he stretched on the bed and buried his face into the soft cushion. That's when he noticed he was smelling something being cooked. He also became aware of the fact that last night, he didn't sleep on a bed.

Ford suddenly jolted up, hitting his head hard on the low-ceiling above him.

"GAH! OW!", Ford howled and held his forehead in pain. "Damn! What-?" He rubbed it sorely and looked around.

Everything was a massive blur of something colored tan or golden. He felt his face, his glasses were missing. Ford looked up carefully and felt the curved low ceiling that hung over him. He looked at the bed. It was large and fitted into the wall with a continuing curved ceiling to the back, and almost boxed in like a nest on the side that would let him out. Ford could sink into the bed, though the pillows were worn and flat. It was all very soft. Ford noticed tucked away around the lining were a few black feathers, though the sheets were a very light blue. He felt the walls again. The seemed like sand stone.

 _'Where am I?'_ , he couldn't help but wonder.

Carefully, he crawled out of the bed, to find that the floor was a small drop away from him. Whoever owned the bed, or house, was a lot bigger than him and with feathers. Finally he heard a shuffle behind him and turned to see some large black blurry creature come into the room. He gasped and backed up to the wall against the bed, eyes darting but failing him in finding anything he could use to defend himself with at a glance. He kept his eyes on the the creature as it stopped in its movements.

"Uhn?", it said. …It almost chirped from the sound of it. Curious and perplexed. "Era ohnu ite sirt?"

Ford tried to calm down. He had to think this through carefully. Just yesterday, he was fighting with his brother, trying to shut down that damn portal. He was pushed in, it was activated? So he was in another dimension. Which meant this creature could either be incredibly hostile or hospitable.

He remembered seeing tall skinny…or…large glowing..? Eyes watching. Teeth gnashing. Weird creatures of every variety only the night before he fell asleep. He was outside, and was brought inside. That didn't tell him much in this creature's judgement.

"Era ohnu ite sirt?", the creature repeated, stepping a little closer.

Ford flinched at the movement, the creature took huge steps and moved swiftly. Almost silently. It stepped closer again.

"Ah!", he yelped and coward back to the wall with his hands raised. "Don't-!"

The creature paused.

"Uhn?", it chirped again.

Ford carefully looked back. The creature wasn't moving towards him. Perhaps it wasn't hostile. Ford looked back and forth again. He caught a glint of something on something else. He looked at it carefully and glanced back at the creature as he slowly made his way towards it, hoping it was his glasses.

As he stepped close to the object, he felt himself run into something hard right in his middle. He groaned and doubled over, holding his stomach.

"Sirt!", the creature chirped. "De-airnul! Era ohnu ite?"

Ford felt out the object, and carefully shuffled around it. He felt a stone table and saw the glinting object being taken from him by the creature. They were his glasses.

"No!", Ford gasped as he reached for them. "I-I need those!"

He came back from around the object he ran into to find the creature had moved as well and was coming towards him. Ford paused but was surprised when a large feathery hand extended out to him in giving him his glasses. Ford looked at the hand curiously. It had only four large fingers that were covered with smooth black feathers. The glasses looked tiny in comparison. Ford held his breath and looked back up. The creature seemed to loom over him with large deep blue eyes. But it waited patiently.

Carefully, Ford took the glasses. He noted their condition, rubbed them out with a piece of his coat to clean, and then put them on.

"Fo! Dichatz anee onhu ahne-air turoiny!", the creature exclaimed and then seemed to laugh in short chirps. "Ahk ohnu vereez ohtolonay turoiny?"

"I-I-I'm sorry?", Ford looked up, unsure if the creature was trying to have a conversation with him.

The creature was rather like a large anthropomorphic crow of sorts with a green sheen to their black feathers. But their beak was also black and they wore a light blue dress of sorts. Ford took a step back, gaping in awe of this larger creature. The bird seemed to smile along the corners of its short black beak.

"Dichatz etoob?", the bird asked.

It didn't seem hostile at all. Ford looked at it in confusion.

"I…", he shook his head, unsure what to do now that he could see it and seemed to find it hospitable. "I'm sorry? I don't understand?"

He tried to show with his hands he didn't understand. He shrugged and placed a hand to his ear.

"Dichatz etoob?", the bird repeated louder.

Ford shook his head again. He knew several languages around his home world, but he had no idea if any of it would make sense to this creature.

"I don't understand what you're saying.", Ford repeated, rubbing his throat and trying to demonstrate that the bird's words weren't coming through.

The bird cocked its head to the side, a little upset by the idea.

"…Ohnu tolo valaybun?", it asked.

Ford looked at it, trying really hard to decipher the strange language.

"Um….", Ford started slowly and he pointed at himself. "..O-Ohnu?"

The bird nodded.

"Me? I'm Ohnu?", Ford asked, giving a small nod.

"Uhn?", The bird cocked its head again. "Ohnu."

It pointed at Ford. Ford tried to grasp what it was trying to say.

"Ohnu tolo valaybun?", the bird asked.

Ford groaned a little in trouble. He wasn't sure how to make this creature understand him. He pointed to himself again.

"FORD.", he said clearly, firmly. "Ford Pines."

The creature backed its head from him in surprise response. It cocked its head a little, looking like it was trying to figure him out. Ford repeated himself, pressing his hands to his chest to demonstrate he meant himself.

" _Ford Pines._ ", he said again.

"Fo… Ford?", The bird repeated slowly.

Ford gave a nod and a smile in response.

"Ford.", he said, repeating his gesture again. "I-I'm Ford Pines."

"Ford.", the bird nodded. It leaned its head one way, trying to piece it out. Then it hesitantly repeated his gesture, looking at its hands and then back at him. "Uhn.. Talvu?"

Ford placed a hand on his chest.

"Ford.", he said, and then put his hand on the bird. It was surprisingly smooth and soft. "Talvu?"

The bird nodded and repeated him.

"Talvu.", it said, placing a hand on itself and then putting their hand on him. "Ford."

Ford smiled and nodded encouragingly.

"Yes. I'm Ford Pines.", he said. "Did you.."

He stopped short, remembering the creature couldn't understand him. He racked his brain, trying to figure it out.

"Ah..", he brushed back his hair. "Hmm.. Uh.."

He waved a hand.

"Talvu…", he started slowly, using his hands to emphasize. "Uh.. Me? In bed?"

He came to the bed and gestured between him and the bed. Talvu pondered this and then gave a small nod. Ford nodded in return.

"Uh..", he remembered back to American Sign Language and wasn't sure if the bird would understand. But it was a starting foundation to hopefully future understanding and since the bird was crow-like, it should catch on soon. He gave a small smile and did the sign as he spoke. "Thank you."

The bird seemed curious but then gave a nod.

"Era ohnu ite?", the bird asked.

Ford sighed a little, looking back at Talvu. It was going to be hard understanding each other. The bird came over and took a hold of his hand and lifted his arm. He flinched, but was unable to pull his hand away as Talvu looked over him. She searched his arm and body.

"What are you doing?", Ford asked.

Talvu looked at his head, came around his body and lifted his other arm.

"Are you inspecting me?", he asked in vain.

The creature looked at his arm and then pushed back the sleeves he wore to reveal half of his forearm was covered in bandages. Ford gasped and turned his arm this way and that, inspecting the care for it himself. He vaguely remembered scraping against bushes before he hunkered down for the night. Everything was such a turmoil the day before, it was blurry.

Carefully the bird leaned down and picked the bandages with its beak and pulled them off. There was a scratch along the length of Ford's arm, but it was thin and scabbed over. Ford gently ran a hand over it to feel the dried skin, a healthy shade of dark red and brown.

"…You've been taking care of me.", he murmured, more to himself.

"Ohnu emees ite.", the bird said.

Talvu hurried out of the room and out the door, leaving Ford with his thoughts. He wasn't sure what all to think of it. Talvu, this giant crow-like creature, was taking care of him. Or at least took him in and made sure his scratch was clean. It seemed friendly. Almost motherly.

He looked around. The room was taller than the crow, but curved, making it feel smaller. The top of the ceiling was open, save for some wide planks of green wood that criss-cross over head. The bed was off the floor, an indent in the wall, and carved out like a nesting box. The thing Ford had ran into was a perch, much like a bird's perch, and sitting in front of a round table that had a trench wrapping near the edge of it all around. There was another perch on the other side. Aside from that, there wasn't much to the room.

Ford looked down at himself. All 12 fingers were still intact and his clothes were a ruffled mess. He straightened himself out some. That's when he noticed something. He didn't hear another voice, except his own. Something that had been plaguing him for more than a year. Ford looked around. The room was absolutely silent. He smiled a little, appreciative of it.

 _'..I suppose.. Coming through the portal, Bill didn't follow after to haunt me here as well.'_ , he pondered. _'Maybe I've finally found solitude from him.'_

He rubbed his head in fuzzy, morning grogginess and looked about the room once more. Should he have followed after his new-found host? Or..hostess?

 _'Sounded female. But I wouldn't know. Could be something else entirely for all I could tell.'_ , he shrugged and decided that as far as he could tell, Talvu would be a female. A motherly crow. _'I need a better way of communicating with her..'_

Talvu came in after a short while and brought a large white bowl with light blue decorative trimming with something steamy in it. Ford had been politely waiting by the bed when she came in and carefully sat the bowl down on the table near him. Ford looked in and saw a soft pink colored broth settled at the bottom. He looked back at Talvu who looked at him as if waiting.

"Uh..", he pointed at the soup and to him. "For me?"

The bird looked at him and then shook her head. Ford couldn't help but find himself mimicking her head-cock. He didn't understand what this was about.

"Ahk ohnu til?", the bird asked.

Ford shrugged, they couldn't communicate again. He looked back at the bowl on the table. Was the perch a place to sit? He couldn't imagine himself to squat on it like a bird. He stepped up close to the perch and found it almost came up to his stomach.

"Hmm..", he sighed, trying to figure out how he was supposed to sit and eat, that is if that was what the bird intended.

Talvu seemed to understand and before Ford could say a word, he was picked up by the back of his coat in her beak.

"Ah! Wh-what are you-?!", Ford gasped, but was soon placed over top the perch.

Talvu had no trouble picking him up and carefully setting his feet down on the furniture, but the smooth wood was slippery for his shoes. It was difficult, but Ford managed to sit on the top of the metal T-shape and wrapped his legs around the pole of it. He wobbled, trying to get his balance, and it was an uncomfortable seat, but he managed.

"L-L-like this?", he asked, adjusting his glasses as he wobbled.

The bird smiled and gently pushed the bowl towards him. It was a bit out of his easy reach. Ford sighed. This wasn't going to be an easy lifestyle, but understanding he had no where else to go, he might as well try his best.

Carefully he reached forward, leaned on the table with one arm to support him, grabbed the bowl with his free hand, but had difficulty pulling himself up to sit. He knew he was still weak from lack of proper health over the last couple of years. Fortunately Talvu pulled him up again and he sat with the warm bowl in his hands. He wobbled again, until balanced, and accidentally spilled some of the soup on his shirt, making him groan from the heat. Talvu chirped several times, as if laughing.

Ford frowned, unamused by the pink splotch on his white shirt. He sighed again and sipped the soup, finding it warm and sweet and reminding him of deer meat. He smiled a little, it was certainly comforting, and drank the rest of it.

 _'This won't be easy..'_ , he thought to himself. _'But it's a start.. and I won't be going home any time soon.'_

When Ford had finished the soup, he had figured a way where they could learn to communicate. He sat down the bowl.

"Ti-sen odu?", Talvu asked.

Ford gave her a smile. But then pointed to the bowl in his hand.

" _Bowl._ ", he said, clearly.

Talvu looked at him curiously. He nodded and repeated himself.

"Bowl.", he said and then pointed back at himself, and then the creature and then the bowl, calling each by name. "Ford. Talvu. Bowl."

Talvu seemed to catch on.

"Gohla?", the bird asked, pointing to the bowl.

"Oh..", Ford nodded. He pointed to it again. "Gohla?"

"Gohla.", the bird nodded.

"Bowl.", he said again. "Bowl. Gohla. _Bowl_ is a _gohla_."

"Uhnn…", the bird said slowly. "Gohla zeely bowl?"

" _Gohla_ is a _bowl_.", Ford nodded.

"Fo!", the bird called, its feathers fluffed with enthusiasm.

Ford smiled some. They were making some progress. Then he was reminded of the cold wet mess on his shirt and sighed a little looking at it. He pulled on the shirt and looked back at Talvu.

"Ah.. Shirt?", he asked, giving his a tug.

"Uhn.. Folab?", Talvu asked.

"Folab. Shirt.", Ford nodded.

Talvu thought it over a moment and then nodded. She hurried out of the room.

 _'Have to give her credit. She's smart.'_ , Ford thought to himself.

Ford leaned back over to the table, sat down the bowl carefully, and then pulled himself back up onto the perch. He wobbled, but had to think of a way down. Carefully he unwound his legs and slid off the seat. Getting down proved to be much easier as he easily landed down on the floor.

He took off his tie and walked over to sit it on the bed. He folded it up as well to be neat. Stanford stopped and noticed his six-fingered hand, like he often had before. He remembered Bill's unusual wheel and the six-fingered hand symbol on it. He had no clue what it meant. _Why him?_ Did Bill intend for him to be lost in these dimensions? Were other symbols other people? Where did they go? Are they already lost in this universe? Fell victim to the same lie Bill told him? Ford's head throbbed with a painful headache and he sighed and rubbed the scalp.

Bill Cipher was such a confusing and hurtful mess of his own. Ford wasn't sure what, if anything, he said was true or lies. Where was he playing him for a sucker and when was he telling the truth to be simply just giving him answers?

Ford slowly curled in the last finger of his hand as his thoughts turned to his brother. What would Stanley do now that he was lost in another dimension? Would he be stupid enough to try to get him back? Ford shuddered to think of what would happen if the portal was fully active.

"Ford?", Talvu called.

Ford looked and saw she had brought him clothes and smiled in appreciation.

"Thank you.", he said, doing the sign language as well.

Talvu smiled and handed him the clothes. Ford unfolded it to find it was a large olive green t-shirt with a dark green pocket on the side. Talvu left for him to change and he did so. The sleeves draped down to his elbows and were very wide for arms much larger than his. It fitted him poorly, but he couldn't complain. He didn't have much other choice other than a cold, wet, stained, white shirt.

Ford sighed, wrapped up his trench coat and sat it next to his tie on the bed, took his shirt, and came out to Talvu. Outside of the room was a high-ceiling hallway with a dark green carpet over the wooden floor. Ford walked down it, noting some of the pictures that hung there. Talvu and several other large black birds were displayed. Family, he assumed. Some were tall, some were stout, some were ruffled and appeared more like a raven.

One was very old with gray streaks in their shorter feathers. Yet despite age, the crow seemed to hold a means of a respectful or proud look in the way it sat for the picture. Deep golden eyes slightly narrowed, head held tall, neck feathers slightly puffed around his neck to give a sort of mane like appearance. Ford couldn't help but be reminded of his father for a moment, and then turned and continued to walk down the hall.

He came into what Ford assumed to be a living room. Much larger than the guest room he first woke up in and several perches circled around a pit fire placed in the center that had a low, bright green fire burning in it and a high brick wall that surrounded it.

Beside one perch, that dangled from the ceiling like in a bird's cage, was a plastic basket with lots of long flat pieces of something inside it. Pieces that stood up were tightly woven together. An equivalent to a granny's basket of knitting yarn. Here, Talvu sat, gently swinging back and forth. She smiled at him as he came in and then chirped her laugh again.

"What?", Ford asked, tilting his head in a puzzled look of confusion.

He looked down at his borrowed shirt, unsure if there was something he was missing.

"Fo.", she said began. "Enes hu ora akeen, sila osnoa itite ohnu operlay?"

Ford was till confused. He shrugged, clueless and simply repeated his sign-language.

"Thank you for the shirt.", he said politely, giving a tug at his shirt when he mentioned it.

She leaned her head to the side, and then mimicked his signing.

"Thank you?", she asked and repeated the movement. "Vara ohnu?"

"Thank you.", Ford did it too with a smile and then gave a nod as he repeated. "Vara ohnu."

She gave a short chirp of a chuckle and stopped her rocker. She hopped off the perch, came over and pointed to the shirt in Ford's hand.

"Folab.", she said. She paused, as if unsure, and then made two fists and grinded the knuckles together. "Uhn.. Qualon?"

Ford wasn't sure what she was doing. Two fists she grinded together. He shrugged.

"Ah..", he sadly shook his head cluelessly.

"Qualon.", she repeated.

She turned the shirt over in his hand and pointed at the mess.

"Ohnu olay enem qualon?"

Ford looked at it and then it clicked in his mind.

"Oh! Clean?", Ford asked. "Qualon, clean?"

"Qualon. Clean.", Talvu said with a nod, holding out her hands.

Ford smiled in appreciation and handed it over to her. She smiled and shuffled away with the shirt to another part of the house. Ford smiled after her. She was very nice and caring. He followed after her, eager to see more of the house.

There was a dining room, which consisted of a table like that in the guest room and two perches. The walls were decorated with pretty china plates and there was a potted plant hanging from the ceiling in one corner with dipping vines that held vivid purple flowers.

It had an open doorway and part of the wall jutted out with a small island and window into what looked like the kitchen from Ford's observations. There were cabinets and counters and drawers and a sink with an old pump on it and a large walk-in fireplace with all sorts of hooks dangling about it where she would cook over. It had a steady bright green fire that crackled merrily in its place and one small closed pot hanging over it closer to the ceiling.

Then he was lead out a back door and into a long, grayish room, different from the warming, sandy-colored house he was in. This room was made of wood and had a large metal tub in it, some buckets with lids, one tin bucket with no lid but a spout on one end. There were also a large assortment of drying herbs that were strung up from the ceiling, which gave the room a spicy, earthy, pleasing smell that made him smile. Unfortunately, a lot of the drying plants weren't ones he recognized. Some were black, others were bright red with yellow stripes. Or green with pink spots or a deep rich purple. There was also two hooks near a large door to the outside that held a piece of cloth and a large straw hat.

The metal tub was already full of warm water. She knelt down and drowned the shirt in it, making sure it was good and wet. Talvu looked over at the nearby buckets. She reached into one behind her and coated her hand in a thick white substance Ford assumed to be soap while he knelt down and sat on the floor to watch. He was correct as she wet the hand in the water and began to scrub, knuckle to knuckle, the shirt between her hands, working the soap through it. Now he understood her sign for clean, watching her as she scrubbed it thoroughly and then dunk it and wrung it and rinsed it clean into the tub until all the suds were floating on the surface.

Talvu then dried her hands on her apron and looked at the other buckets beside her, as if searching one. Her pointed finger wavered, found the one, flipped the lid off with no problem, and grabbed a handful of some sort of sand. She weighed it, poured a lot of it out of her hand back into the bucket, thought it over and looked back at the shirt.

Finally Talvu poured out what she thought was a satisfying amount of sand from her hand into the bucket and sprinkled some of it into the water. She clapped the remaining dust off and leaned back. Ford watched, his eyes growing wide as the water began to ripple, as if being stormed on and then it pulled itself up, the shirt in its current, and twisted and turned. It turned a bright soft pink color all over, hiding the shirt, settled back into the tub, and then Talvu reached in and picked up the shirt. The stain was gone and Ford smiled and laughed in amazement. The motherly crow looked back in small surprise of his laugh, smiled herself, and then wrung the shirt out as dry as possible.

There was a counter that lined the wall against the kitchen on the other side and Talvu laid the shirt out on there. She took the hat, put it on, took the cloth, wore it like a shawl, reached into a fold in her apron and pulled out a pair of sunglasses.

She looked back at Ford who watched her curiously and gently pat his shoulder.

" _Vont._ ", she said firmly.

Ford thought it over and then pointed to where he sat.

"Stay?", he asked. "Ford stay?"

"Ford vont.", she nodded.

She took his shirt and then headed out the back door. Ford had to quickly cover his eyes as the bright sunlight glistening on the sand nearly blinded him and then with a thump, Talvu was gone. Ford rubbed his eyes and looked around. He waited for her and in a few minutes, she came back in and this time he was sure to cover his eyes first.

He stood back up while she hung up her hat and shawl.

"It must be very bright out there..", he said softly. "Is it drying?"

The bird looked back curiously. She didn't catch what he said. Ford made his hand wet in the tub to demonstrate.

"Wet.", he said, pointing at his hand. He dried it on his coat and then held it up. "Dry. Shirt drying?"

"Dry..", she said carefully. "Fo! Yalorn. Folab yalornaw."

"Shirt drying. Folab yalornaw.", Ford smiled with a nod.

Ford and Talvu spent the next half hour playing their little game in the living room. Ford would point out something and call it by name. Talvu would call it in her tongue and they'd trade names. They picked up on each other's languages very fast. Ford was soon showing her how to count on his fingers when there was a piercing whistle through the house.

Ford cringed while the bird seemed unaffected. She looked up to the sound, and hurried to the kitchen. In a short time, the whistling stop and Ford looked back. After a short time she came out with a woven tray that had a tea pot and two cups. She sat it on the brick wall around the pit fire and poured a cup of what looked like very light yellow tea and then looked back at Ford expectantly.

"Uh..", he gave a nod and a smile. He was gonna have to find a way to share "Yes please" with her.

She smiled and poured him tea as well and handed him a cup. Ford carefully held it, feeling the heat radiate through the ceramic. It was a pretty cup, not too different from average tea cups though the handle was larger for her to put a large feathery finger in. They were painted white with red swirls and designs of foreign flowers. He smiled at it in appreciation and then pointed at the tea in his cup and looked up a Talvu.

"Tea.", he said.

"Galorn.", she smiled. "Tea. Garlon."

"Galorn. Tea.", Ford nodded and held his cup, happy to anticipate the nice sweet earthy flavor of tea.

He blew on it, took a drink, only to find a very bitter familiar taste hit his tongue and he cringed and forced to swallow and cough. Talvu's head snapped up as she watched, wide-eyed and alert.

Ford coughed a little.

" _Coffee._ ", he said, pointing back at the fluid in his cup between coughs. "No tea. COFFEE."

Talvu leaned her head to the side and laughed. Ford did like coffee, but the sudden unexpected taste in his mouth was not very well welcomed. He cleared his throat and tried again. It was very strong and smooth compared to normal black coffee. Like something imported, or however Fiddleford would say. Ford was typically content with his standard branded coffee in a standard coffee pot. Nothing super fancy or blended like how Fiddleford sometimes enjoyed. But he was able to drink it well enough. It was a huge relief, as it came to his attention, with a quick throb of a headache, soon swallowed by its relief in caffeine. He smiled back.

"Ohnu ite?", Talvu asked, trying to stop giggling.

"Hm?", Ford asked. "You…?"

"Ite?", Talvu repeated. "Ohnu ite?"

She paused. Gave an example smile, though her eyes asked him the same question. Ford thought it over.

"…Alright?", he asked. "You alright?"

Talvu and Ford were slightly stumped on this one. There was no physical object to mean feeling alright. Or pain. Or bad or good for that matter. Ford gave a small smile.

" _Alright. Good._ ", he tried with small nods to his words. "Ford is _alright._ Coffee is _good._ "

"Ite. Oolop.", Talvu smiled a little in mimicry. "Ford zeeley _ite?_ Galorn zeeley _oolop?_ "

Ford nodded.

"Ford is good.", he said, with the sign language.

"Ford zeeley oolop.", Talvu mimicked his hands.

They both smiled, happy to find this working.

"I'm alright.", he said.

"Ohnu ite.", the bird nodded.

 _"Oolop."_


	2. Chapter 2

Later on into the day Ford had his shirt back and he and Talvu were happily engaged in conversations. Whenever one was stuck, they would piece out and describe what they were saying until the other caught on. Talvu's story was rather simple but sweet.

She was an old widow crow. Her nest had emptied only a few years ago and her flock had fluttered off to create flocks of their own. Her husband had died while the _"chitel-yuns"_ , as she called the children, were still fairly young. Ford didn't bother to press how he died. But she made do throughout the years and they got along just fine. Part of what was so funny about Ford's borrowed shirt was that it was a baby's size and still too big for him. She had a lot of baby clothes saved for the day her only daughter would finally settle in with a family of her own. It's generally hot out where she lived, on the outskirts of the city. But she liked the slightly older fashioned life and kept herself well shaded from the desert sun. Hence why the sun hat and shawl earlier.

When she saw Ford, she was on her way back home from the city. She was hesitant for picking up a random stranger off the road, but apparently Ford had slept under a particularly dangerous tree that would've slowly absorbed him a few more hours into the dark evening. As she would've guessed, Ford simply didn't know better. She worried a good deal how he was left there all alone, where he came from, if she should help him at all, but it really wouldn't have felt right to have left him to die. It was obvious he didn't know the way this world worked.

And then it was Ford's turn to speak while Talvu was preparing dinner.

She had already paused their conversation to gather her ingredients from outside in a place she called an _"arij grutter"_ , and while she cut up the meat to cook, Ford found himself stumped on what to say exactly.

He didn't want to tell her of his twin brother. But he couldn't explain how he got into the portal by accident.

"Ford?", Talvu asked, still cutting up the orange meat.

Ford looked back, realizing he was a little consumed in thought and hadn't said much.

"Auu din ohnu falan teeres? How did you come here?", she asked.

Ford sighed and looked back down at the counter space between him in the dining room and her in the kitchen.

"It's not easy to explain.", he said at last.

She paused in what she was doing and looked back, a little concerned.

"Uhn?", she asked in her variation of a hum.

"..It's…a long story.", Ford said scratching the back of his head. "There's a lot to tell. I was in a place called Gravity Falls."

Talvu nodded, went back to cutting and smiled while she listened.

"Gravity Falls..", she murmured. "That is your home?"

Ford paused and sighed deeply as his mind went back over the forests and mountains. The wide open starry skies from his rooftop. The deep green misty lake. He could still smell the stingy scent of pine trees in the Summer heat and musty old books in his little shack. A long aching feeling of homesick came over him.

"…Yes…", he said quietly. "That is my home.. _..Ahem.._ I was researching the things that lived there."

"What are _'things'_?", Talvu asked, putting the meat aside and working on cutting up some unusual, large, yellow vegetable that reminded Ford of a carrot and a lemon mixed.

"A living creature or object. You're a thing. I'm a thing. That knife's a thing.", Ford explained with a point to the knife, earning a nod from her. "I was researching things that lived there. Not people like you and me. But…"

"Polains?", she offered.

"If that's a word for animals. Small living things? Not plants like..that.", he said, pointing to the vegetable.

"Fo.. Yes. Polains.", she smiled "Plant is yuloin. In fact, this yuloin is called a _yunick_."

"Alright.", Ford smiled. "I was researching the polains that lived there. They were considered weird in my planet."

"What is weird?"

"Well..", Ford had to bite his tongue to keep from saying himself. "…It's something that's not.. _common._ People are common. I'm sure people like you are common. But these polains…well actually these creatures..they weren't. Some are like people and some are like animals. But they're very weird.

"These creatures were what people like me, humans, have only talked about in stories for years. No one believed they were real. I had found them and was learning what they were like. But I was always curious as to where they came from. I really wanted to know, but there was no explanation. Nothing could tell me where they came from. There was one creature. A creature with all sorts of answers that I thought could help me."

Talvu looked at him curiously as Ford's expression darkened and his hands balled up into fists.

"…his name is Bill Cipher.", he said. "…and he is what my dimension calls a demon. He's evil. Evil is worse than bad. Much, much worse than _bad._ "

"Fo _unih._ ", Talvu grimaced.

"…and what's worse was that he tricked me.. I was desperate for answers and he played me for a fool.", Ford sighed. "He _lied._ He said he was a friend to me, but he wasn't. At all. He helped me build this thing. A great, big, huge thing we call a machine. It's made of metal like that knife. It was going to open a doorway between my dimension and others."

"Uhn?", she asked.

"Dimensions. It's….", Ford sighed, not really wanting to get into the college-level explanation of it. "….it's where the universe is. Stars? The sky? Your home world? All of it is the universe. And where the universe sits, is a _dimension._ I'm from _another_ universe. A planet similar to this one, in some respects, that runs a different form of life. I'm from another dimension."

"Fooo, ohnu mean loropsiat.", Talvu said with a knowing nod.

"Oh, is that what it's called? Lo…loropsiat?", Ford stammered a little trying to repeat.

"Ep.", she gave a nod. "Yes."

"Ah. Well yes, so he telling me how to build this machine, this portal. It would allow me to get to another dimension, such as this one. But it was actually very dangerous. Very very bad and hurtful. Hurtful means a lot of pain. What he really wanted was a way to create a tear in my world. A rift that would allow him access and power over my home. It would allow all sorts of demons to be let in and wreak havoc."

"Ford?", she paused him.

"Hm? Oh. What does 'wreak havoc' mean?"

"Ep."

"Wreaking is a word for causing. Typically used in a bad way. Havoc is chaos and destruction. Say I were to throw your pots all over the kitchen and over turn that board you're using for the polains and I'd jump and yell. I'd be _wreaking havoc_ in the kitchen."

"I see.", Talvu glanced at him worriedly. "Why would this Bill Cipher want such a thing?"

"Hell if I know.", Ford scoffed. "I haven't the slightest clue. He's just evil. I had to shut the portal down and close my research on dimensions. I couldn't ever let him into my world."

"So… If this..portal…is closed… How did you come here?", she asked slowly, now putting the vegetables into a pot of boiling water and frying the meat.

Ford sighed and opened his mouth to speak but thinking of everything that happened, not more than 24 hours ago, made him stop and freeze in flashback.

 _"Stanley! you don't understand what I'm up against! What I've been through!"_

 _(Ford writing the post card. Handing Stanley the journal. Hearing whispering in the lab after Fiddleford had left.)_

 _"Living it up in your fancy house in the woods! Selfishly hoarding your college money cause you only think about yourself!"_

 _(Ford tackling Stanley for the journal and being tripped. Stanley being kicked in the desk. The punch in Ford's face.)_

 _"I'm giving you a chance to do the first WORTHWHILE thing in your life and you won't even listen!"_

 _(Stanley laying a hand on his shoulder, trying to coax him into talking it out. Ford trying to show him the portal.)_

 _"You care more about your dumb mysteries than your family? Well you can HAVE THEM!"_

 _(Panic. Screaming. A pull on his being as blinding white light blocked Stanley from view.)_

"Ford? _Ford!_ ", Talvu shouted, finally breaking through to him.

Ford blinked and gasped, momentarily wondering if he was breathing at all as suddenly he had a lack of air. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes and face tiredly.

"Ford? Era ohnu ite?", she asked for what felt like the millionth time today.

"I'm.. I'm fine. Sorry… I…", Ford sighed and looked down at his hand. "…When I was building the portal, I wrote it all down in these things journals. To keep what I learned someplace I'll always be able to find it again. But I had to hide the journals when I found out the portal was dangerous. But in order to make sure Bill wouldn't find it, I had to ask someone else to hide the last journal for me. I didn't have any friends though. There was only one person I felt like I could trust to hide them someplace far away safely for me but…well we weren't exactly _friends_ to start with. And when I asked him for help, of course, he fought with me about it and shoved me into the portal. That's how I wound up here. ….Now I wouldn't even call him my friend."

"What is he?", she asked. "And what do you call a friend?"

"I don't know what to call him anymore.", Ford sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "A friend would be someone who's considerate. Someone who thinks of you. And is nice to you. Someone you could trust. Be able to tell them your secrets and know they wouldn't ever hurt or betray you."

"What's betray?"

"It's like…lying. Saying they'll do one thing for you, promise they wouldn't hurt you or wouldn't tell anyone something, and then turning around and doing the exact opposite of what they promised. When you feel like someone's your friend, and then they hurt you? They betray you. They betray your trust. I should not have trusted him.", Ford said solemnly. "He betrayed me, just like Bill Cipher betrayed me. But what I'm really worried about is that the portal must've shut down after I passed through it. I'm hoping that he, the last person I thought I could trust… I'm hoping he wouldn't dare try to activate it again."

"Mm.. Why?", she asked. During this time she was peeling off the leaves of the long stalks of herbs she had gathered for her supper.

"Because if he does and the portal comes into full power, my world would be destroyed."

"Lop, I mean why would he uhn..activate it? Was that the word?", she asked.

Ford sighed and frowned, looking back at the crow. He glanced down at the knife.

"Would you like me to help you cook?", he asked, changing the subject entirely. "I'm pretty good with a knife. I'd like to help."

"Fo?", she glanced at him.

Ford came in, pointed at the knife and held out his hand, offering. She gave it over and Ford gave the knife a twirl in his hands to adjust for comfort and quickly minced up the herbs for her. Fascinated by his handiwork with a blade, Talvu asked no further question on Ford's life in his home dimension.

As Talvu cooked, she taught Ford and he had the chance to explore and try different kinds of food. He found some herbs to taste similar to the ones he grew up with. When dinner was done, it looked amazing and they sat in the dining room. Ford's only problem was that it wasn't finger-food and Talvu didn't need silverware to eat. Just her beak. He thought it over, dug out a pocket knife from his back pocket, and used it to stab his crab-scorpion-cross meat to eat instead. It was very warm and filling. Slightly spicy, but savory and he smiled and praised her cooking for it.

"Heh. The last time I had something so nice to eat was.. Well damn, I wouldn't even know. I'm not much of a cook. Though I had experimented with a kind of sushi during my research.", he complimented.

Talvu smiled in appreciation.

"I'm glad you like it. I have been uhn..wondering whether to get foruhnlay or not, but I don't have people, especially humans come here often."

Ford paused at this remark, took another bite, and then slowly sat down his knife as he thought.

"Hm.. Just curious, Talvu.. Do you see other humans in this dimension?", he asked.

"Ep. I do.", she nodded. "Whenever I'm in the ihtezay, I see at least a few here and there. People from other dimensions are actually not weird here."

" _Really?!_ ", Ford's eyes opened wide. "H-ho-how?! How is that possible? Without utterly destroying the other dimensions by tearing the fabrics of reality through powerful electromagnetic forces- _It doesn't add up!_ Is it really probable in other co-existing dimensions to find ways of interdimensional transmission and transportation? How far behind is Earth, _really?!_ How many multiples of universes could possibly exist, _just_ out of reach beyond our own?! Is it possible there are other dimensions that are even _further behind_ in advancement in technology than we? _Is the spacecraft in Gravity Falls really an example of what laid beyond our own existence?!_ "

Ford's brain whirred faster than his tongue could keep up as he stuttered and stammered and brushed back his hair in amazement of the never ending questions and possibilities that flooded his mind. It took Talvu trying several times before she could get a word through to him that she was unable to keep up with anything he was saying.

"You speak too quickly.", Talvu said, having taken him by the shoulder to keep him from falling off the perch in his excitement. "Is something wrong?"

"Sorry..", Ford gave a sheepish grin. "Nothing is wrong. No. I'm just excited."

"What is excited? Is it good?"

"Yes. It's a good thing. It's being very uh…enthusiastic about something.", Ford calmed down to explain. "The way I was talking so fast? And smiling and loud? I was being _very_ excited. I-I get excited over these sorts of things. Science like this is so..fascinating!"

Talvu sighed, again having a hard time understanding what he said.

"..I think this is _good?_ ", she asked, feeling a little worn from his enthusiasm.

"Yes. Very good. Science is really good. Science is learning. Fascinating is a very good word. It's a compliment. It's saying something good about something else."

"Ite.", Talvu nodded.

"I'm sorry.", Ford said. "I like this a lot and it's making me very happy to learn."

"You have been happy all day then. You have learn so much.", Talvu commented.

"Yes.", Ford smiled and then leaned back a little in his seat. "I've actually really enjoyed myself today. It's so amazing, that's another compliment, to learn so much from you. Your language, your home, your world."

"Then I am good.", Talvu smiled, earning a small chuckle from the other.

"Happy, would be the better word.", Ford said. "You are happy."

"Fo. Then I am.", Talvu nodded with a small chuckle herself. "I am happy."

Ford realized he had stopped eating and then continued, his mind still running through so many questions now to ask about the worlds beyond what he knew. While he ate and thought, he absentmindedly began to spin the pocket knife around in his fingers. A common habit he had with anything that could fit between them, typically pens and pencils. Talvu watched, astonished to see him so effortlessly keep from scraping his hands as he pulled the knife out to the blade and fed it back, weaving through his fingers down to the handle. Sometimes letting it simply rest on the side of his hand as one finger so expertly spun it around and around. He only paused to get another bite but still his motions were fluent and fascinating to the large bird. Such small hands compared to her own, so fast and careful. Even knowing when to slow down to avoid things like being scraped by the sharp blade or pricked by the fine tip.

Ford finally noticed her watching him and quickly stopped. He frowned and flipped the blade closed and hid the gadget in his palm, turning his fist face-down towards the table and gently knocked it on his knee as he turned his head away, clearly embarrassed for being watched.

Talvu looked back at him, surprised.

"Why did you stop?", she asked.

Ford glanced back at her.

"…Isn't it..bad?", he asked, sounding a touch reproachful which almost alarmed Talvu to hear. "Weird?"

"Weird? Well… You said weird was uncommon…so yes, it was weird.", she said, unsure how this behavior suddenly came over Ford. "But it looked..uhn…what's that word? Fas… _fascinating?_ "

"Excuse me?", Ford was surprised.

"The knife? The way it moved. It was 'fascinating'.", she said.

"..The knife?", Ford asked, completely perplexed. "You.. You mean you weren't..staring at my hands?"

"Your hands were moving the knife. So yes, I was.", Talvu nodded.

"No, I mean.. You weren't.. You didn't think my hands were _weird?_ ", he asked, holding it back up again, looking between his fingers and her as he held the knife with his thumb.

"Why would I?", she asked, tilting her head to the side. "They are simply hands.."

"…Well…They have six fingers.", Ford said and sat the knife in his lap so he could tick off each finger as he counted. "One, two, three, four, five, _six._ "

"Fo?"

"Well on Earth.. In my home.. People only have _five._ Not _six._ ", Ford curled in his last finger again to demonstrate. "Having six is..weird. Uncommon. Unusual. _Bad._ "

He frowned and stared at the hand. He could hear the kids in his early childhood yet again calling him a freak and picking on him. Something that he never quite let go of.

"How is 6 fingers bad?", Talvu asked, surprising him again. "You have more. Would that not make you untoomiley?"

"What does untoomiley mean?", Ford asked.

"Ah.. Good? Very good? More than good."

"Better? You think I'm… _better_ than other humans?", Ford asked, feeling his heart lift a little as he earned a nod. It then sunk again and his shoulders slumped. "I wish… Other humans.. They.. They don't like it. They call me bad things for it. Freak. Weirdo. Inhuman. To other humans..I'm more like all those creatures I researched. Something… _weird._ "

"But.. You _are_ human.", Talvu frowned. "There are lots and lots of things that are not common. Why would six fingers be so bad?"

"I don't know to be honest..", Ford sighed. "Most humans don't like things that are weird. I'm still human, yes. I'm like any other human. Actually, I'm smarter than most other humans. I learn faster than they do."

"Then are you not the _better_ human?", Talvu asked.

"I would be, if everyone else didn't prefer normalcy over weirdness.", Ford smiled up sadly at Talvu. "You're the only other person I've heard that _liked_ my six fingers."

"Is there another human that does like your six fingers?"

"About only one. My mother. My rahlun.", Ford chuckled with Talvu.

"A rahlun never chooses weird or common in their chitleyuns.", she said.

"That is accurate.", Ford said and he genuinely smiled up at her and Talvu smiled back warmly. "Thank you for not judging me. For not saying I was weird."

He pulled out the blade again and they continued eating.

"Twirling things around in my hands is actually a habit of mine.", Ford explained. "So sorry if I worried you with the sharp blade. It's just something I do when I'm busy thinking hard about something."

"Fo. It is alright. As long as you don't hurt yourself.", Talvu nodded.

"..Thank you.", Ford said softly.

After dinner, Ford helped her wash the dishes and then finally noticed the heavy bags under his eyes and the pale skin and messy hair and unshaven face in the reflection of the plate he washed.

"Oh wow..", Ford frowned and bit his lip. "Do I really look _this_ bad?"

"Uhn?", Talvu glanced over.

Ford finished the dishes with her and then dried off his hands and tried to smooth down his hair. Sure it was always kinda messy, but it didn't always have to stand up like that. He looked like some drunk hooligan fresh out the bar.

"Ford?", Talvu asked. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to clean up a little.", Ford said. "My hair's a mess."

Talvu leaned her head one way and Ford looked back up at her.

"How's that? Is it standing up still?", he asked.

Talvu leaned her head the other way and then gently pecked at his hair and straightened it out for him. Ford gasped and then began laughing. Feeling her soft pecks pull on his hair, it was ticklish!

"Stop! _Stop!_ ", he laughed. "It tickles!"

She pecked all over his scalp, smoothing his hair down this way and that, down to the fine hairs around his neck, making him laugh especially hard.

"Talvu! Talvu _stop!_ It tickles!", Ford wheezed, trying to squirm away.

"Don't go. You wanted your hair cleaned.", she said, moving one large, black, feathery arm to hold him there.

The feathers on her arm tickled even more so and Ford was in a fit of laughter as she struggled to hold him steady and clean him up. When she finally finished, his stomach ached and his throat was sore from laughter. But his hair was finally neatened and straightened out.

"Why did you push me away?", Talvu smiled, amused and yet perplexed.

"It tickled.", Ford said between breaths as he leaned back on a wall to catch his breath. "You pecking my hair and all those feathers… It caused a sensation in my skin that makes me laugh. It's instinctive to push it away, but I don't mean anything bad by it. Sorry."

Talvu chuckled.

"I never been _'tickled'_. So I don't understand. But you look happy."

"It was fun. I'll say that.", Ford chuckled and double checked to make sure his glasses weren't smeared. "Thank you for the preening."

"What?"

"Sorry. When birds clean their feathers, or another's feathers, it's called _preening._ You're a bird, or like one. You cleaned my hair, so I said preening instead of cleaning. Either way, thank you."

"What is a bird in your world?", Talvu asked. "How am I like it?"

"Well there are lots of kinds of birds. But you resemble a crow. You look like one. Small forehead, smooth feathers, quick to learn. You have black all over you and a shorter beak and wing span er, a shorter arm span really-"

"Fo! Am I really all that _small?_ ", Talvu exclaimed in surprise and amusement.

"Ha ha! Well I wouldn't call you a _raven!_ That's a bigger bird than a crow. And it's ruffled and ugly and has a harsh voice.", Ford explained with a smile. "I'd say you're a crow. But birds in my dimension are much smaller than you anyway. Even a raven. They fly too. Y'know, they go through the air instead of walking on the ground. There are all sorts of birds. Some even bigger than ravens. But none of them are as tall or as smart as you are. And I don't think there's ever a bird as kind either."

Talvu's feathers fluffed a little at the compliment as she smiled down at Ford.

"Thank you, Ford.", she said. "That was good, right?"

"Of course.", Ford smiled back.

They sat in the living room and talked a few hours longer. Ford told Talvu of his adventures in Gravity Falls and all the things he learned and discovered, while the bird gently rocked on her perch and wove. Similar to a granny knitting, she held the pieces in her hands and used her beak to weave in and out tightly, making something like a basket from Ford's guess. She generally didn't say anything unless to ask Ford to describe what she didn't understand. It wasn't until late into the evening that Talvu started to get tired. She sighed and sat the weaving down.

"And then when I got back in, heh, it's really funny. I came down to the lab and McGucket asked if I was- wait. Is everything alright, Talvu?", Ford asked, finally noticing.

"Uhn? Oh I am good.", Talvu smiled tiredly. "But it is quinop now."

Ford looked behind her, out the window at the dark desert.

"Oh. Quinop. _Night._ ", he said. "It's late."

"Ep.", she nodded. "We should zilay."

"Sleep? Ah…", Ford hesitated and wrung his hand a little. "Well… I suppose..we should."

Ford dragged his feet about going to bed, but soon he took his tie from the bed and hung his tie up on the perch nearby, took off his shoes, sat his glasses on the table, and clambered into the tall box nest in the guest room, insisting on not going and asking Talvu for help with it. He curled up into the middle of it with his coat laying over top of him like a blanket and tried to find solace in the long night.

Sufficient to say, sleeping was easier said than done.

 **"Keep running Sixer! Just keep on running!"** , the demonic triangle's laugh rung in his ears as he dreamed. **"Such a smart boy, running away from all your problems!** ** _Just make sure they don't catch up to you!_** **One day they will!** ** _YOU'LL SEE!_** **"**

Ford felt like he would've choked if he didn't just wake up from his nightmare. His coat twisted around his body tightly from his tossing and turning. It took a bit through blindness and confusion to finally get it untangled. Ford laid there, panting, pouring cold sweat. He rubbed his eyes sorely and reminded himself of where he was and how he got there. He wiped the sweat away and sighed long and slow.

 _'If I try to go to sleep again, it'll only come back. A self-perpetuated nightmare based on higher levels of stress being in an unfamiliar territory and with so much to have happened within the span of 2 days. I can't sleep. I should get up. But it's dark, which means it's still night. So obviously I haven't been sleeping long at all. I must remember to hold my temper today. But I can't sleep. I can't sleep. I can't sleep at all…'_ , he thought to himself.

He carefully crawled out of the bed, dragging his coat along with him, and dropped to the floor. He slipped his shoes and glasses back on and made his way out of the dark, moon-lit room. Even though he just woke up, Ford was careful to shift his weight with each step to decrease chances of noise and silently made his way down the hall and into the living room. It was cold in the house with the fire gone and he wrapped the coat around him tightly and sat on the floor near the fireplace.

 _'I can't sleep. I simply can't sleep.'_ , he thought to himself miserably. _'What to do with myself till then?'_

After adjusting to the still, quiet house, Ford felt more bold to shuffle around more. He looked out the window. There was a light blue colored moon with purple stripes hanging in the black sky and bright stars, similar to those he knew so well. He stared up at the dark sky and sighed, missing his large white normal moon.

He shuffled over to the fire and saw the wood stacked up nearby. He sat some up, peeling off shavings from it to use for kindling, and rubbed his hands together. It was cold in the room without a fire. He remembered something from a few years back about fires.

 _'Wonder if it still works in another dimension..'_ , he pondered.

He decided to give it a try and picked up one twig. Held the tip of it leveled to his lips and about 6 inches away from him. He took a breath.

"…Pyros, kinesis. Setusthe stickus aflamus.", he said, concentrating on the stick.

There was a small spark that flew from the tip and then a crackle and with a sudden pop fire flared up on the tip, burning bright and cheery red. He smiled and sat up the stick with the others. With a little more magical encouragement there was a fire burning, providing plenty of heat and light. There was some help to Bill's teachings earlier on.

He fortunately had a spare pen to write with in his pocket and found plenty of blank paper. He sat down and made sketches of the creatures he knew and wrote some ideas that came to mind. He drew Talvu and his own study on her habits. The way she rolled the "r" in Ford's name like a pigeon coo. The way she would so effortlessly reach back behind her and smooth down some feathers on the back of her neck with her beak. Different little bird habits she had.

Ford hadn't even noticed that dawn arrived, let alone Talvu coming out and finding him sitting in the middle of the floor with all sorts of papers scattered around him with drawings and notes. It wasn't until she was laughing that his head snapped up and he acknowledged all of these things.

"Oh, sorry. Good morning.", Ford said with a sheepish grin.

"Hello.", she returned, not fully sure what morning meant yet.

"What was so funny?", he asked.

"You.", she said. "You look like a chitleyun sitting there."

Ford looked around and saw what she meant. He chuckled and cleaned up his work.

"Sorry.", he said, shuffling the papers. "I am a bit of a slob about these sorts of things. Did you sleep well? Ah.. Din ohnu zilay ite?"

Talvu smiled and gave a nod.

"Ep. A din.", she confirmed. "I did. Did you?"

"Uh..", Ford bit his lip a little as he stacked the papers against the ground to straighten them. "N..no.. Not really.. A din zilay ponu."

"Uhn? Why?", Talvu asked.

Ford sat there, his papers close, and he sighed, partially yawned, and kept his stare to the floor.

"I can't sleep.", he said softly. "Can't sleep. Never. Just can't. …I can't sleep.."

He shook his head, in bad memory of his Bill Cipher related dreams.

"Uhn? Ford?"

"…I can't sleep.", he said. "Humans sleep. They should sleep. But not me. I don't like to sleep. I _can't_ sleep."

"Why?"

"Do you see pictures when you sleep?"

"Ep. We call it fulooyan."

"Well we call it dreaming.", Ford explained. "And I have a lot of bad ones. Lots and _lots_ of bad dreams."

"Fo…. But… Don't you need to sleep?", Talvu asked, leaning her head to one side.

"Yes. Humans need a lot of sleep. At least ten hours.", Ford said, looking back at her. "But I can't even sleep for 2."

Talvu could see he was still obviously very tired. She thought it over in her mind.

"Are you sure you can't sleep?", she asked.

"I could try. But I wouldn't like it.", Ford scoffed. "I'll just put these in my room."

He went around and into his room. Talvu followed.

"What's an hour?"

"A long measurement of time. A second goes by quickly. In the span of saying 'one Mississippi'. It takes 60 seconds to make a minute. It takes 60 minutes to make an hour. It takes 24 hours to make a full day, from sunrise to sunset and back to sunrise.", Ford yawned. "Seven days to a week. Four weeks to a month. 12 months to a year. 10 years make a decade. 10 decades to a century. 365 days in a year. 30 days in September, April, June, and November. 28 days in February, and 31 days in January, March, May, July, August, October, November, and December… Wait.. I'm sorry I'm rambling. Uh, an hour takes a long amount of time. And 10 hours are very long. Almost half a day."

Talvu chuckled.

"You _do_ need sleep.", she commented.

"Heh. You sound like Fiddleford.", Ford chuckled and made it to the bedroom. He sat the papers on the table. "Would you like me to show you how long an hour is?"

Talvu gave a nod and they sat at the table and Ford showed her his watch.

"See this small line that's constantly moving? It's a second-hand. It moves every second. When it goes in a full circle, that's a full minute and this _long_ line moves.", he said, pointing it out.

"Fo. What are these things?", she asked, pointing to the numbers.

"Numbers. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12.", Ford said. "They mark hours and minutes."

"How?"

"When the long hand, the minute hand, moves from 12 to the 1, it's five minutes. And when it goes to the 2, it's 10 minutes. Every number multiplied by five is the minute. Then when the minute hand makes it from the 12 all the way around the clock and back to the 12, it's a full hour. 60 minutes.", Ford forgot he was rambling again.

"Uhn-hu..", Talvu nodded slowly, taking it in.

"Humans track their days starting at midnight when it's dark. In the middle of the night. The short hour hand at the 12. The hour hand drags itself all the way around from what we call, 12 o'clock midnight, back to the 12, it's half a day. 12 hours have passed and we say it's 12 o'clock in the afternoon. When it reaches back to the 12 again it's midnight. A full 24 hours have passed and a whole day has spent.", he explained. "Are you keeping up?"

"Ep.", she nodded. "So what time is it?"

"It is..", Ford adjusted his glasses to better see. "…8:36 in the morning. Nice to see our worlds are conveniently still on proper parallel schedule to each other."

"So how long until 10 hours pass?", she asked.

Ford sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"Ten hours from 8:30 would be 6:30 in the evening. The evening is when it turns dark outside.", Ford explained. "The little hour hand will be on the 6 and the large minute hand would be past the 6."

Talvu nodded.

"May I see it?", she asked.

"Here, of course.", Ford handed it over.

She took the watch and then took off his glasses.

"Hey! What-?", Ford gasped.

She sat the glasses on the table and then picked Ford up and put him back in the bed.

"No! Talvu, I _can't_ sleep!", Ford groaned.

"You need sleep.", she said simply.

"NO. I can't. _I won't!_ ", Ford sat up.

For the first time, Talvu frowned back at Ford. Eyes narrowed and glowed slightly. Ford was suddenly reminded of the many similar looks his own mother would give Stanley for back-talking and he swallowed the lump in his throat, seeing it aimed at him.

She climbed into the bed as well, fitting easily as the bed sunk underneath her, and tucked Ford in under her, just as a bird would.

"Talvu!", Ford cried out. "Lemme up! Stop this!"

" _No._ ", she said, setting the watch down in front of her.

"I can't sleep!", he growled. "I won't! _Not again!_ I can't keep going back to those nightmares! _He'll try to kill me!_ Or trick me again! I don't wanna sleep!"

"Then don't sleep.", Talvu said, keeping her eyes on the clock. "But you must inalex."

"Relax? Rest? _For ten HOURS?_ Are you kidding me? NO! Talvu you don't understand!"

He scrambled and squirmed and managed to pull his head out from underneath her. But Talvu simply pulled him back under again with one large talon of a foot and resettled herself upon him, careful to give him room to rest and breath, but still covered and kept very cozy and warm. There was no getting out of this. As far as Talvu saw it, he needed to be looked after like a child. Ford couldn't argue with her. It was pointless.

 _'Note of discovery: Talvu's species is very determined once firm in a decision.'_ , he thought bitterly to himself.

Ford sighed tiredly and rubbed his eyes. She was right and he knew it. He was tired. So little sleep wasn't good at all. But what could he do about it? The anxiety to sleep, the horror of what could happen in a simple dream. It was almost laughable if Ford wasn't so worried about it. Yet here he was, caught between an overprotective motherly bird, more or less laying on top of him, and a soft mattress that just beckoned sleep. He tried to stay awake, but it didn't last long. Slumber overtook him, and he was out like a light, with little will to protest.


	3. Chapter 3

This time Ford was back in his old home. He wandered about the cold, quiet, empty house. Everything was kind of blurry. He could just make out the walls and floors.

"Stanley?", he called out. "Stanley?"

Ford turned and looked into a room to find it empty. He rubbed his chin in thought and stepped back, but bumped into a familiar body.

He turned around and saw his brother, black and gray colored which, for some reason didn't confuse him.

"Oh! Stanley.", Ford smiled some.

Stanley made no comment but instead yanked the journal away from Ford's hands, making him gasp.

" _STANLEY!_ "

Stanley smiled widely and threw the book down, causing a suddenly explosion of bright red fire. Ford backed up from the flames and watched as it consumed all three journals, and then spread rampantly throughout the house.

Stanley cackled and it echoed into Bill's unmistakable laughter.

 ** _"YOU'LL SEE..."_** , Bill said, his eyes shining through Stanley's as he looked up and grinned at his brother.

Ford stumbled back and then ran out of the shack, wanting to scream, but feeling like something prevented him from doing it. He ran into the UFO he loved raiding with Fiddleford. He pulled out a small black object from his lab coat and looked around for adhesive. He didn't know why, he just knew he needed the vivid purple goop for this thing in his hands.

There was a simple, small tapping of shoes that echoed in the darkness. Ford followed it and came up to a shining piece of metal. He saw a smaller version of himself step forward. But he didn't wear glasses and had a hat. The boy came up to the reflection in sync with Ford.

 _"You're a nerdy freak!"_ , he heard Crampelter taunting.

Ford held out a hand to touch the reflection, but in a last instant, the boy pulled out a familiar gun and pointed it at him.

"Dipper!"

The trigger was pulled and Ford fell back, losing the object in his hand. He fell into pitch blackness, hearing Bill's laugh coming from the boy that loomed over him, those large yellow eyes glowing down at him.

 ** _"I'M NEVER WRONG SIXER..."_**

Fire rose up all around Ford, the heat searing his face, the smoke choking his lungs and making his eyes sting. Ford coughed violently, trying to breathe. Trying to find the ground underneath him.

 ** _"EVERYONE FAILS AT SOME POINT!"_** , Bill taunted.

Ford looked back and saw three silhouetted figures, a tall one and two smaller ones. Ford coughed and tried to go to them, but his legs froze. Ford looked down and saw they had turned to gold. The gold crept up all over his body as Ford struggled to escape.

"STANLEY!", Ford screamed, trying to move his leg. "KIDS!"

Ford looked up and tried to reach out to them.

" _I'M SOR-!_ "

The last thing Ford saw was his six-fingered hands turning gold before the gold seeped over his eyes and everything was black and still.

 _"...you don't wanna help me.."_ , Bill's voice said softly, right next to him. _"..but you already did. Everything is set in motion and there'll come a day when you face your greatest failure yet.."_

Then there truly was nothing.

Ford's eyes finally wrenched open and he panted and looked back at the sandstone ceiling above him. He rubbed his eyes and groaned.

"...I hate him..", he growled, rubbing his face. "Oh gosh, I hate him _so much..._ "

He looked back at the room. It was very late in the morning, almost noon, judging by the sunlight. He sighed and slipped off the bed and got his glasses and put on his tie and shoes.

He walked back out into the living room. Talvu was nowhere to be seen. He heard some foot steps and came to the dining room where the sound was. Talvu was just out of the bathroom that was connected off the dining room. She had a towel pressed to her cheek and was surprised to see Ford.

"Ford. Are... Uhn.. Are you better?", she asked carefully.

Ford was surprised by this reaction and hesitated to move.

"...Yes.", he gave a small nod. "Well, I mean.. Actually no. I uh.. Well I slept. Are you alright? Talvu, you look hurt."

"Uhn...", she seemed a little uneasy. "You.."

Ford sighed and felt a wave of guilt come over him.

"...Let me guess... I was having a bad dream... And did something didn't I?", he asked. "I had was having bad fulooyan, and did something while I was sleeping huh?"

Talvu gave a small nod.

"Almost..", she said. "You.. looked..uhn.."

"Awake? Like I wasn't sleeping?", Ford asked.

"Ep."

"I'm sorry, Talvu.", Ford sighed. "..I'm very sorry.. But I'm awake now. Really awake. Lemme see. What did I do?"

He came over and Talvu took off the towel. At first Ford couldn't see anything, but carefully pushing some feathers aside, he could see the redness of the skin underneath. He ripped some of the down off and it stung her, similar to ripping hair out. And it was easy to guess that wasn't all he did.

"Oh, Talvu.. I am so, so sorry.. It must've been my nightmare. My bad dream.", Ford cringed.

"I did not know dreaming could cause you to act in your sleep.", Talvu said, easing the towel back on to help with the pain as she wore a concerned expression. "I have never seen anything like it. You were talking _very_ loud."

"Shouting."

"Ep. And you were moving, a lot, in your sleep."

"Tossing and turning. Normal things to happen actually, when someone's having a bad dream. Shouting, screaming, tossing and turning. I must've been grabbing for something too a lot, which is why I pulled on you. I'm very sorry, Talvu.", Ford apologized again.

"What was very weird was that you said something. You kept shouting _'Stanley'_.", Talvu said, frowning slightly. "What is a 'Stanley'?"

A dark and serious look overtook Ford's previous guilty expression and Talvu noticed his back arching ever so slightly at the mention.

"...He's no one.", he said in distinct cold tone she recognized from last night's conversation of how he came into her dimension. "I don't know why I mentioned a name like Stanley."

Talvu slowly leaned her head to one side, curiosity creeping over her as this new attitude suddenly swept over him.

"Ford...why do you say that Stanley is a _no one_? Is he a person?", she asked.

"Stanley is a name.", Ford sighed with a slight snapping tone residing in his voice now. "Just as Talvu is your name. And my name is Stanford. Stanley is simply just a name you could give to any person and I certainly don't know one that goes by such a name."

He turned to leave, finding it hard to look her in the eyes and lie.

 _"Stanford?"_ , Talvu repeated, now completely thrown off. Ford cringed, hating to have revealed his full name. "Stanford... Stanley. Do all humans have 'stan' in their names?"

"Oh good heavens, NO!", Ford groaned, rolling his eyes, remembering the days when kids and teachers alike poked fun at the infamous _"Stan Twins"_. "Then the world really would be a hellhole if that was to be the case! No! My full name is Stanford Pines. Stanford Filbrick Pines, that's my full name. Stanley, is simply another name. There's also Sam, and Richard, and Alex, or Kristen. Laura, Robert, Leonardo! _Emily!_ All names humans call other humans for the sheer sake of being able to identify one from another. Just because I happen to have _'Stan'_ within my own name does not mean you have to refer to me as that or associate me with others who also have the same beginning. I have _never_ met, nor do I ever plan to meet, a _'Stanley Pines'_. As far as anyone's concerned, you could simply call me Ford. It's much easier to pronounce, shorter, and more to the point. You are not, under any circumstances, _ever,_ to call me _'Stan'_ or _'Stanford'_."

"Ford..", Talvu said softly.

Ford finally focused and turned to notice, she looked hurt. He tried to calm down. Stressing over his brother and years of being confused because of him will only lead to further nightmares and hurt Talvu too.

"..I'm sorry.", he said, slightly sharp. He cleared his throat and tried to sound more gentle. "I'm sorry, Talvu. I-"

"Ford?"

"Yes?"

Talvu came over to him and gently put a hand on his shoulder.

"You are not good.", she said. "You need to ixilly."

"What's ixilly?", Ford asked. "Oh, let me guess.. You think I'm stressed. I'm acting very upset. Sad.. Mad. And you think I should calm down and relax? I should do something that will make me happier instead of angry?"

"I think that is what I was meaning.", Talvu nodded.

Ford gave a small smile.

"Alright.", Ford nodded.

"Let's have some polaw.", Talvu said, meaning breakfast.

Ford agreed but for a while, the dream weighed on his mind. Who were those children he saw? That one that looked so much like him. Did he really call himself after a constellation? It seemed like a blurry mess at that point. Most of what he remembered was the fire.

Ford tried to shrug it off and decided to focus more on writing down notes about life in this dimension, come someday he may add these to his journals if he made it back home. He didn't want to foget anything he learned about this place and he drew several pictures of Talvu and her family photos. Talvu watched him curiously from her rocker while she weaved and when she asked and he explained what he was doing, the bird was more than confused.

"How can you relax if you are working?", she asked.

"Heh. You sound like Fidds.", Ford chuckled under his breath. "It's just nice to me. I feel better when I'm working on research."

"But isn't that work?", she asked, leaning her head to the side, causing him to snicker. "And who will read your 'research' if you are not going home?"

Ford froze. His smile stiffened. The thought never occurred to him. Who would this knowledge be passed to? No one in this dimension needed to learn what life was like here. Here, dimensional travel was common and commuters were in abundance. He was the oddity for not knowing about it sooner. He felt like a bucket of cold water suddenly hit him in the bleak reality that his documenting would be pointless. Even if he did make it back home, which he still wasn't sure of the probability of it at this point.

"I...uh..", Ford tried to come up with some reason for continuing. "...I...just like doing it. Humans are very unusual. There is no way to perfectly define why we do things."

He quickly went back to finishing what he was writing while Talvu pondered on this. She gave a small, thoughtful, nod.

"...Ep..", she said slowly and then smiling some. "..Humans are _very_ unusual..."

Ford laughed a little, hearing this from her. With writing and coffee and good company in complete silence, Ford had relaxed considerably for the next while. He rubbed his eyes a little, feeling as though he had been asleep all day as he looked up from his writing and gave a content sigh.

"Ford?", Talvu asked curiously.

"Don't mind me. But you were right.", Ford smiled some. "I needed this.. I don't know what came over me the last couple of days.. Such abnormal amounts of stress... Might be travel sickness between dimension? But now.. Finally a moment of normalcy. Wow.."

Talvu smiled.

"I am glad you are happy.", she said.

"Me too..", Ford stretched. "No external voices in my head. No demons. No dimensional crisis. Finally... Maybe being shoved into the portal was a blessing in disguise."

"What's that?"

"Blessing in disguise? It means that maybe there was something good hidden in a bad situation.", Ford explained. "A blessing is a good thing. A disguise is something you use to hide. A good thing hidden means that there was a good thing that was hiding in a time when it seemed like there was only bad things happening."

"No no, I mean. What are...ex? _Externul_?"

"External voices? Oh..", Ford rubbed at his neck a little. "Uh.. I was hearing things that weren't really there. Like when you talk to me. I hear your voice. But I can see you too. So I know where the voice is coming from. But for a long time I could only just hear voices that WEREN'T in my own mind. I couldn't see where they came from or who was talking to me. It's usually a sign of a mental breakdown and frankly I'm not surprised. Bill Cipher really did number on- he did a lot of bad things to my brain."

"Fo... It doesn't sound good at all..", Talvu frowned some.

"Yes.. But he hasn't followed me into this dimension. So that's a good thing.", Ford smiled some.

"So it was Bill Cipher who had caused you to hear these things? These..external voices?"

"Ep.", Ford nodded. "Or so it would seem, seeing I haven't heard them as much since. So I'm not crazy. Bill Cipher hadn't really broken my mind, he was probably just messing with me in my dimension. But I'm okay now."

Talvu smiled again.

"Then that is good.", she said.

"Yes, it is.", Ford smiled more and went back to writing.

But somewhere during the next half-hour, something flew by. Ford had just caught hearing it in time.

 _"ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssixer...!"_

It was loud and caused Ford to jerk. He sat up straight and looked around. It sounded like a passing car on a highway. But seeing nothing, he thought it over a moment. The sound was unmistakable.

"...AW _CRAP!_ ", Ford groaned and rolled his eyes, startling Talvu.

"Re-air? Ford?", Talvu gasped.

Ford rubbed his face tiredly, finding it too hard to believe.

"I can't believe this.. Not again!", he moaned. "It's STILL pestering me!"

"Ford?", Talvu asked, completely bewildered.

"Nope! It's just official!", Ford sat up and dropped his papers onto the hearth. "I'm crazy! I'm insane! There's no getting out of this! _THANK YOU!_ THANK YOU BILL CIPHER! If you were physical I would promise to _obliterate_ you on a molecular level _SLOW AND AGONIZING, AS PARALLEL, TO THE DAMAGE YOU HAVE PLACED ON MY BRAIN!_ "

"Ford? Reair? Reair koz?", Talvu asked worriedly.

Ford gave a deep sigh and regained control over himself.

"I'm fine.", he said simply, finally, not looking at Talvu, teeth grinding a little. "...I'm just.. I might as well own it. There may be no repairing the damage Bill Cipher's done to my mind."

Talvu didn't perfectly understand it, but as far as Ford could tell it was better than the whispering or yelling he's heard before. And it wasn't a constant barrage of noise. So Ford learned to live with it and continued with what he was writing. There was no point in throwing a frenzy about this sort of thing.

 _"Make a deal with a demon, expect to pay in full.."_ , he muttered to himself.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Merry Christmas Eve! ^_^ I would've had this finished sooner but you know how it is with having a cold. Hope you like it, please review._

* * *

Despite the now quieted voice in Ford's head, the next few weeks were spent rather enjoyably. Ford wanted to learn as much of Talvu's language as possible, written and spoken, and the rest of the world she called home. Sometimes, she took him outside and showed him what desert life there was in the blanket of night. Ford was constantly amazed again and again with each new thing he discovered. In time, she took him to the city and Ford never felt more like a little kid lost in wonder, taking in every little sight of the populace, transportation, tall skyscrapers, and food and everything. It was almost enough to make his head spin.

Within a few months though, things had lost their novelty. Things had quickly settled into feeling a bit of a norm. Ford had even gone to town on his own on a couple of occasions. People at the library Talvu liked to visit quickly got to know him and appreciate his trips. And on nights where sleep was an impossibility Ford had found where to get a decent drink. Talvu never liked what alcohol did to people, but it was impossible for Ford to get drunk anyway, so he felt okay about it.

"You've really settled into this world well.", Talvu said one day while Ford sat back on the floor with a book in hand and two in his lap.

"Thank you Talvu. Back on earth it was evident that if you handle something with enough confidence, you really could do about anything.", Ford said, turning a page. "Though the city really reminds me of my old home in New Jersey. So of course I already feel familiar with things."

"Fo. The estinay you grew up in?", Talvu asked.

"Well sort of.", Ford chuckled. "Wouldn't really call it a nest like you seem to put it. A home would really be more appropriate wording."

"Uhn? How so?", Talvu looked up from her weaving with a puzzled look. "You've told me how horrible it was growing up there. Your father never believed in you, was never...impressed? You were picked on by bullies. Teachers were horrible. You were brought into trouble you never took a part of."

"Well yes..", Ford scratched the back of his head a little. "That did all happen.."

"I wouldn't call it a home. Just a place I lived. A estinay.", she shrugged.

"Well that is what we would call a home. A place where we live is a home.", Ford argued, looking puzzled.

"No no. A home should be where you feel you belong.", Talvu counterpointed. "Your word home, is our word 'wuthil'. And a wuthil to us, is a place where you feel like you belong. Where you were supposed to be. That is home. Where you feel your heart beat in unison with the area around you, and you look back in fondness and warmth. That is a home Ford. Your kind, use it far too loosely."

Ford looked up at her in surprise, feeling touched upon by this warmth and wisdom. A small frown tugged at his face though and his heart sunk down low as his eyes fell to the floor, while his mind wandered back over Gravity Falls and yet still he found no such warmth and universal peace, finding it stained with memories of Stanley, Fiddleford, and Bill Cipher.

"...Then I have never had a home...", Ford replied quietly. "..And I don't think there is one for me with how you describe it."

Talvu looked back, a little saddened by this thought.

"...Everything has a home.", Talvu said. "...I'm sure you'll find yours. Maybe you have without realizing? And if you return, you may find you missed it a whole lot and finally feel at peace."

"...Talvu, do you feel at home out here? In the middle of the desert? No where in particular and with the sun blazing down on you like this?", Ford asked, looking back at her.

"Ep.", Talvu nodded and gave a gentle smile. "Many ask why. I have no explanation for it. But I need none. For this is where I feel I belong. I'm at peace out here, living my small and simple life. I never did want anything big for my life."

She took a small sigh and closed her eyes, leaning back a little.

"Here, is what I would call home. And here is where I would be happy to die."

"Not closer to your family? Or people who are like you?", Ford asked.

"No. My family can still visit me. Easily. And I could see other people. But I like being away from the city. I'm very happy here."

Ford smiled sadly, seeing her peace and happiness. He hoped someday he could find the same.

It was amazing, actually, exactly how wise Talvu was compared to him. It made him feel like he still had so much to learn. She always seemed to have something to share with him. Something warm and more emotional than hard core factual science like he was so well accustomed to hearing. It was a rather radical viewpoint compared to his own. He found it comforting and insightful. In a way, he loved her presence and hearing her say on things in life. And viewed her with respect and care.

The more Ford thought about it, considering the large bird, the more he found it funny how much an emotional attachment she seemed to have develop for him as well. Motherly as ever, Ford was almost appreciative of it, if not feeling a little bit suffocated by her constant questioning over his better health. It was almost laughable, if he didn't have to endure it all the time. But he found it pointless to try and deter her from being so, and therefore, allowed her to continue to dote on him. He felt well assured that she'd learn to give space, eventually. She was smart enough to figure out he knew what was best for him. It was only a matter of waiting for it to click in her mind.

One morning, however, Ford woke up to find himself sick with a cold. He sniffed and hacked and didn't feel right for getting out of bed. He curled up more into its center and groaned, feeling the sharp pain in his throat and a rolling mass of disgust in his stomach.

 _'The sooner I get over this, the sooner I can get back to work.'_ , he habitually thought to himself, pulling up the covers over him. _'...But what about Talvu? Does she even know what sickness is? Should I do something?'_

Ford groaned and forced himself to get out of bed. The moment his feet touched the cold hard floor, goosebumps ran all over him in a way that almost hurt. He shivered, rubbed his arms, and then went over and got his glasses and wrapped his coat tightly around him.

 _'I'll just see what Talvu has to say, and ask for some soup. Then I'm going back into bed...'_ , he thought to himself.

He coughed again and stumbled out of the room. When he reached the kitchen, Talvu was already preparing breakfast. She smiled at him and stirred something in a large pot over the fire.

"Did you sleep alright?", she asked.

Ford glanced in the pot and saw it was something that looked thick, creamy, and lumpy. Bits of bright orange and green poked through and it was enough to send his stomach rolling in agony. He coughed violently, almost hurling over the floor right there.

Talvu quickly stopped what she was doing and looked back in worry.

"Ford! Are you okay?", she asked, hurrying over. "What is that noise?"

Ford moaned and rubbed his throat in pain again.

"I- ahh!"

Ford's voice was horse and cracked, but even just trying to use his voice hurt horribly, worse than coughing. It felt like sharp needles stung the back of his throat and it made him want to gag.

"Ford?", Talvu asked, worrying more.

"I-I'm sick...", Ford managed to say, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I'm very sick, Talvu.."

"What? I can't hear you.", Talvu asked, leaning closer.

Ford coughed again and then sneezed a few times before groaning and holding himself in pain.

"Dammit, Talvu!", Ford forced himself to talk louder through the pain. "I-I'm si- _ow!_ -sick!"

"S...sick?", Talvu asked, still having trouble hearing him. "Did you say sick?"

Ford nodded.

"What is sick, Ford?"

Ford sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"I do- _ah!_ -don't feel - _gah_..- g-good.", he said hoarsely. "I-I feel ba- _ow!_ B-bad!"

"You feel bad? Does your neck hurt? What's wrong?", Talvu asked quickly coming over and looking carefully at his eyes and then his skin.

Ford coughed again and shivered, pulling the coat closer around him.

"Ta- _ah!_ -alvu, I have to- _ahem!_ -have to go to bed. No- _ow._ ", Ford said. "I-If my thro- _oh!_ -oat feels better I'll expla- _ah!_ -ain later."

"Don't you want to eat?", she asked, still bewildered as ever and starting to worry. "Ford, you just got out of bed. Do you really have to go back in? Wr-writing! Wouldn't you like to write? Anything? Do you have to go to bed?"

Ford sneezed, making her jolt again and moaned, having to wipe the snot on his sleeve since he had nothing else on hand.

"Ba-athroom and _ow_.. And then bed.", he said, shuffling away.

Talvu winced, watching him hurry away. Ford hurried into the bathroom, grabbed a roll of toilet paper, and went back to his bedroom, already starting on wiping off what was on his sleeve.

 _'Just don't think of it.'_ , he told himself. _'Just don't think about it and you won't lose what stomach acid you have left.'_

Coming back into the bedroom though, of course, he could see that there wasn't a trashcan. Ford sighed. Everything ached. He couldn't tell if he was feeling cold or hot. But he didn't have the voice to explain to Talvu what he needed. Now he really wished he taught her how to read English. He didn't even have the energy to translate his thought into her written language. So instead he finished blowing his nose and sat the tissues on the table. Ford meekly climbed back into bed and pulled the covers tightly around him.

 _'You have to break a sweat to break a fever.'_ , he told himself. _'Ugh, it's like my chest is on fire.. I hate being sick. I don't have the time for this nonsense..'_

It felt like hours had passed. Ford tried to entertain himself with going back over his knowledge of the journals he used to write in and things he would like to change about them if he got back to Gravity Falls, but it was hard to focus really. Eventually, he just let his mind drift aimlessly. Vague voices echoed around his mind. Some of them sounded like memories, but Ford didn't give it much thought. He had almost fallen asleep when he heard Talvu enter the room again.

"Ford?", she called softly. "Ford, are you okay?"

Ford moaned, his voice didn't hurt so bad, but it was still somewhat sore. His chest was tight with ache. The sound of the door's creaking as she opened it sent a painful shock through his nerves which made him shudder.

"No..", he grumbled from under the covers. "I feel like I'm _dying..._ "

"Dying?", Talvu asked worriedly. "Va oln... Ohnu zont elep wuloon zo ohnu?"

"What?", Ford asked, his voice still hoarse.

She came over to the side of his bed.

"You do not mean your life will end, do you?", she asked again.

"That's what it feels like..", Ford sighed and rolled over to face her, finding panic in her eyes. "My throat's on fire... My nerves are shattered.. I keep shaking and shivering.."

"No no no! You can not die! You are still only young!", Talvu cringed with worry. "You have not lived a whole life, have you? You are still small like a chitleyun, you can not have lived your whole life. Is this what sick is?"

"Whoa, whoa, Talvu..", Ford said meekly reaching out a hand and placing it on her beak. "Calm down..."

He coughed violently again into his sleeve.

"I'm sick.", he said. "I do not feel good. Humans get sick all the time."

"...Do they?"

"Yes. It just FEELS like I'm dying.. My body hurts. My throat and chest especially hurt. I hack and sneeze because my body is trying to get better. I'm feeling hot and cold and oh gosh, I just wish it would end...", he let his head drop back onto the bed with a heavy sigh. "I'll get better but...damn I hate getting sick.."

"Is that why you have all that mess on the table?", Talvu asked, looking back at the tissues.

"Yes. It's uh...kind of like bad waste my body's trying to get rid of.. It helps me feel better.", he said.

"Why did you bend over in the kitchen?"

"Food makes me feel even more sick.", Ford explained. "But there is one food that would make me feel better, I think."

"What is it?"

"Soup."

"Why?"

"Warm liquids just help you feel better.", Ford shrugged, not feeling up to giving a better explanation. "I'll tell you all about it when I'm better.."

"We have a thing that's sort of like this. But it doesn't make you..'hack and sneeze' like you say.", Talvu explained. "But your eyes should not be easy to see. And you would be losing your feathers. Er...hair, I guess..."

"That's not how it is with humans. Is there any medicine you give for it?", he asked.

"Yes. I should get you some.", Talvu said, about to hurry off.

"Don't.", Ford said. "I doubt it would really help. Or at least, I don't know yet. It feels like an ordinary cold, but I don't know if it's perhaps something I picked up from here. If it's alien to me, I might ask for medicine later."

"So... Do I need to just make soup?"

"Ep."

"Alright then.", she said, and hurried out.

Somewhere in the back of Ford's mind it made sense that Talvu should be worried since animals did typically become lethargic when sick and they ordinarily didn't recover. He smiled a little before rolling back over and trying to get some more rest. It wasn't long though. She was back in and Ford put on his glasses and pulled himself out of bed and came over to the table.

He sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"Fo...", Talvu grimaced. "You really do not look good."

"Yeah.. I probably look really waxy and sick.", Ford sighed.

He began to drink the broth and instantly regretted it. He cringed and had to work hard not to cough out the overly sweet disgusting taste that had assaulted his tongue. He shuddered after swallowing and silently prayed he'd be over it soon.

"Is something wrong?", she asked, seeing him bend over the bowl. "Does it make you sick too?"

"No no.. It's fine. It's just.. Yes, actually, it's part of being sick...", he braced himself for another mouthful.

Unfortunately three swallows into it and Ford's stomach lurched with hot pain.

"Shit..", he mumbled, doubling over and holding his stomach in pain before releasing a pitiful moan.

"Ford? Is everything okay?", she asked putting a hand on his back. "Are you hurt?"

He could definitely feel himself break into a fever at this point and already understood quickly his stomach couldn't handle the soup at the time. Not wanting to try to wait it out for the next few hours, Ford grabbed the bowl again, thought of something horribly disgusting to speed up the process. It didn't take long and he hurled the soup right back into the bowl, along with something that must've come from last night. Talvu yelped in surprise.

"Fo! Fo, Ford! Fo, ohnu soola elep wuloon!", she panicked and was unsure what to do as the food fell back into the bowl with a horrible gagging sound. " _Va va!_ Estee-ah era ohnu wuloonay? _Va va va!_ Ohnura ekep vun ofod _poon_! Estee-ah ishis apohnulay?"

Ford coughed the last of it out and quickly wiped his mouth and nose with more toilet paper. The familiar burn of throwing up residing in the back of his throat. He groaned and spat a little more into the bowl.

"I am so sorry Talvu...", he managed to say. "I should've realized.."

"Esteeah ishis apohnulay?", she asked again.

"Why is this happening? Because I'm sick.", Ford shrugged. "Damn, how sick am I?"

"Is this _normal?_ ", Talvu asked slowly, trying to stick to English.

"Throwing up? Uh, yes. It's quite normal. Actually it's good.", Ford rubbed his sore throat and coughed a little more. "I'm getting rid of what's making me sick."

"I do not understand.", Talvu quickly shook her head.

Ford shook his as well, finding it hard to explain to Talvu in his state of mind. Suddenly the chill of the room got to him again and he rubbed his arms and hurried back to bed.

"When a human is sick, it's typically because of tiny tiny tiny things called bacteria. Being sick makes it harder to eat food sometimes because your stomach becomes incredibly sensitive and would not digest it properly. You'll throw it back up and it's painful but effective because you also get rid of the bacteria in this manner. Another word for this action is vomiting. I'm slowly getting better but damn I hate having to go through it at all. It hurts and it feels horrible and..and..", Ford paused to sneeze again before climbing into bed. "Augh.. Shit I _hate_ getting sick. It feels like you're dying.."

"But are you dying?", Talvu asked.

"I'll get better. But it's hell to go through.", Ford shrugged and took off his glasses, sat them nearby, and curled up tightly in the bed again.

"You just have to...uhn...get rid of what's making you sick?", Talvu asked, starting to relax.

"Pretty much.."

"But why does it get into you to begin with?"

"I can't really explain it, Talvu. I'll tell you when I'm feeling better..", he sighed and took off his glasses again. "I'm sorry I couldn't eat your soup. I promise when I'm better I'm going to clean it all up."

"You sure you don't want me to?"

"I'll take care of it. You already do so much.", Ford sighed a little and curled up tighter, still feeling a slight soreness in his stomach. "I'll get better. Sorry for making you worried."

At this, Talvu finally smiled. She rested a feathery hand on Ford's head.

"You are like family to me now.", she said. "Of course I will worry."

Ford smiled back.

"Thank you.. I haven't really met a lot of people who view me like that."

She nodded.

"Do you need to rest?"

"Yes."

"Do I need to make more soup?"

"No, thank you. I might have some tonight though."

"Alright. Should I go?"

"If you want to. I'm not really for conversation, but I'd appreciate the company."

Talvu left the room and soon came back in with her weaving supplies. She sat on the perch nearby and began weaving. Ford smiled, watching her black blob move in his blurry vision.

 _'And to think...'_ , he thought to himself. _'I first worried you would eat me...'_

It was then that Ford discovered that Talvu liked to whistle and sing to herself. He didn't really understand the lyrics, they were very abstract. But it seemed like it didn't really matter. The tune itself was pleasant enough. It almost cheered him up, despite being sick as a dog. She had a lovely voice too, except when she tried to sing anything higher, in which it would come out scratchy and sharp to his ears. But fortunately it wasn't often, despite all the songs Talvu knew, and there were a lot. Ford had lost count and instead allowed himself to simply enjoy it for what it's worth.


	5. Chapter 5

When Ford woke up, hours later, he took a mental inventory of himself. Head that felt like lead, throat that wasn't as sore. His skin felt waxy, and Talvu was no where to be seen. Everything seemed okay. He got out of bed and wobbled a moment, having laid still for so long. He soon got his balance and his glasses. He was feeling better. No upset stomach. No aches. Nothing a little walking around won't fix at least. He yawned and looked around. He couldn't tell what time it was. It felt like he slept for a year. It was weird. But he rubbed his face and shrugged it off. It was probably just late. Maybe the middle of the night. He came out into the house and found it dark. There wasn't even a fire. It was definitely night time.

"Talvu?", Ford's voice was cracked at first. He cleared it and tried to speak up. "Talvu?"

There was no response. He came to the kitchen. She wasn't there or in the laundry room. He stated to worry and searched other rooms, still calling out. Not the bathroom, bedroom, living room, dining room, or anywhere outside. Ford searched his room again and found a note.

"Gone to buy medicine. Will come home soon."

But obviously this wasn't true. She would've been back by now. Ford pondered this as he lit a fire and got something to eat. He tried to remain rational, but he couldn't help worrying. Something was wrong. She wasn't back yet. Something held her up.

It was a relief when she did come back, but that feeling was shot lived when he came into the yard and saw how panicked she was.

"Ford!", she gasped. "Era ohnu ite? Are you okay now?"

"Yes!", Ford answered quickly but she was already rushing him inside with her groceries. "But where were-? What's-?"

"Anskay ooldenay!", she sighed with relief. "You don't have a lot of time."

"Talvu what's-?"

She left him in the living room and quickly hurred to her room.

"Yansta.", she ordered.

"TALVU!", Ford growled, getting frustrated that she didn't stop to explain anything. "What's going on?"

She stopped in the hallway and looked back. Feathers a mess and eyes wide with worry.

"F-Ford..", she said softly.

That was when Ford noticed the paper in her hand. She was clenching it tightly.

"..What's that?", he questioned, nodding to it.

Talvu hesitated, but then handed it over to him. Ford took the paper and looked at it, shocked to find it was a mug shot of him. A wanted poster.

"Th..they know you're here.", she said in a soft voice. "It's him.. Bill Cipher. He wants you.. I.. I found out in town.. I had to be very careful that the police would not _iternolag_ me. But you need to leave"

"Wh-what?", Ford looked up, trying to put aside his shock. "Right now? You mean like, NOW, right now?"

"Ep. They will be searching everywhere. I could not buy you the medicine.", she explained. "But you need to leave before they come here."

"O-Okay.", Ford nodded.

Ford followed her to her bedroom. There, she gave him a poncho and backpack.

"Put these on.", she said quickly. "When you felt more ready to leave on your own, I was going to have more for you, but for now this will do for your travel."

"Thank you.", Ford nodded. "Really."

Ford took the pack and hurried through the house to put his own belongings in it, as well as a few books Talvu allowed him to keep. Talvu packed him some provisions she bought instead of medicine. She also gave him a pair of sun goggles for the desert.

"You must go fast.", she said as he changed into the new clothes she had gotten to mask him. "And be sure to stay out of sight."

"I will.", he assured.

"Speak in my language.", she instructed. "And find another city to hide in until you can find a way back home."

"I don't even know where my home is..", Ford sighed. "But I'll keep this in mind.

"Your home is dimension 46.", she sighed. "I hope you get back soon and be safe."

"...Me too, actually.", Ford said sadly. "Right now that would be nice.. Someplace out of Bill's reach."

When he was finally prepared to leave, they stood in the backyard for a goodbye. But it was hard. Ford felt at home here. And knew he'd miss Talvu. But staying would put her in danger. Something he simply couldn't do to her.

"Lee-ahn be'sein.", Talvu said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Good bye, Ford.."

"Good bye, Talvu.", Ford said sadly. "I will never be able to thank you enough for what you've done for me. Lee-ahn be'sein."

Surprisingly enough, he found himself reaching out and hugging her. Saddened by the loss of a close friend. Talvu returned it, and it was nice. But it had to be kept short and soon Ford began to walk. His steps felt small and slow in the vastness of the night sky and desert scene.

At some point, he looked back and saw that the dark cottage was already so small, and so far away. Only getting further with every step. He dismally wondered if they would ever meet again, and feared they never would.

The next day, Ford found a road and walked along it. Within a few days, he found a barn to sleep in for one night. There were some barn animals, but fortunately he left before the farmer found him. The weeks passed as he traveled. On occasion, he hid under the curves of the dunes as a police car would come within sight. Then one day, as he was running low on water, a shuttle passed by and then stopped not too far away. Ford watched as it drove back in reverse and stopped next to him. The darkened window lowered.

 _"Esenchi?"_ , the purple alien asked.

Ford shook his head, unfamiliar with the language.

"Och, oo pelay Alvotu?", he asked in the only alien language he knew, asking if they spoke the same.

"Ep.", the alien nodded and then Ford could translate it more easily. "What's a guy like you so far out?"

"Ah..", Ford hesitated. "... I don't have a ride."

"Really?"

"It was...stolen.", Ford lied. "My whole home. Robbed. They took the car. So now I'm walking."

"To where?"

"A.. Friend's home.", Ford looked down the road, discouraged by no house in sight. "In the next town."

"In the next town? Damn..", the alien turned to the driver to say something in the other tongue.

They argued for a moment and then turned back to Ford.

"We could give you a lift if you want?"

"Um..", Ford looked back down the road. He wasn't sure how far town was..and he was already tired. "..Okay."

"Climb in!"

The door slid open and Ford crawled into the back seat. It was definitely cooler in the car. And darker. Ford thought about taking off his goggles, but decided against it. He didn't want to be turned in.

"Thank you.", he nodded.

"How long have you been walking?", the driver, another purple alien, asked.

"A long time."

"Your tone is stiff. Is it a second language?", the first asked.

"I am stiff.", Ford replied curtly. "I do not like to speak much."

"Oh. Okay.", the driving alien nodded but didn't seem to understand cause it went on talking, much to Ford's disappointment. "Do you know who robbed you?"

"Maybe it was that wanted criminal on the posters.", the first said. "From dimension 46?"

"...No.", Ford said coldly. "It did not look like him."

"Would you shut up?", the second scolded. "You're making him uncomfortable."

They argued quietly but Ford tuned them out. He thought of Talvu and hoped she was okay. He was worried about the wanted poster. How easy was it for other aliens to spot him? Only time would tell. For now, he propped against the door and rested. He'll need the energy, cause it'll be a long time until he found a way out of this world, much less back to dimension 46.

* * *

 _Author's Note: I'm sorry to say I can't write anymore of this fanfiction. As fun as it was to write as much as I did, I can't anymore. I don't have the motivation or plot. And the release of the Journal just kinda ruined it for me. Sorry. I'll just leave this last piece I wrote out and call it good. Thank you for all the people who were kind enough to read it and leave a review._


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